For many small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), VoIP is appealing because it can significantly reduce the cost of telephone services. But, if those savings come at the cost of call quality, the switch may not be so ideal after all.
This was the dilemma faced by Broward Spine Institute, a Hollywood, Florida-based orthopedic provider. The company also operated a satellite office in Pembroke Pines, and was planning further expansion. As a way to reduce its telephony expenses, and to make future expansions easier, Broward decided to move to VoIP.
But, in addition to lowering costs, maintaining a high level of voice quality also was very important.
“We wanted to make sure Broward didn’t trade call quality for a lower telephone bill,” said Greg Jenny, Vice President of TRT Telecommunications (a local consultancy tapped to design Broward’s new phone system), in a case study by Kentrox.
Broward had been using Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) for voice communications between its offices (30 phones at the main office, four at the satellite location), and a DSL connection for Internet access and exchange of x-rays between locations.
To upgrade Broward’s telephony, TRT used an Avaya (News - Alert) IP Office and Q-Series QoS Access Routers from Kentrox (News - Alert). The result was an easy-to-maintain system that took advantage of unused bandwidth on the existing data network.
The built-in Quality of Service (QoS) functionality in Kentrox’s routers was crucial to ensuring that voice traffic was properly prioritized and quality didn’t drop.
“With the QoS built into Q-Series, we could make sure their VoIP calls stayed top notch,” Jenny said of Broward’s new phone system built using Kentrox’s routers.
The routers were used at both Broward’s locations to connect to a T1 IP service. The result was not only cheaper phone service, but a central voice mail system that improved the company’s efficiency. Plus, Broward gained a future-proof system allowing for future expansion without large capital investments.
To learn more about Kentrox’s VoIP Quality of Service (QoS) solutions, visit the company’s booth (#430) at INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & Expo, WEST, October 10-13, 2006 in San Diego.
Mae Kowalke previously wrote for Cleveland Magazine in Ohio and The Burlington Free Press in Vermont. To see more of her articles, please visit Mae Kowalke’s columnist page.